Shattered Samurai was pretty for one of the first 2K games with a decent ABS.

Funky Chicken was like a B movie porno, only with worse dialogue but something about it was strangely appealing.

The way and a Blurred Line are naturally favourites for being good, story intensive games despite system limitations, but my favourite goes out to

Ziggy and the Celestials.

Now, you probably haven't heard it (Which wouldn't surprise me). It's still in development (And has been for years), since the creator has this problem with getting seriously side-tracked. I'm still trying to convince him to release the demo out for the public, because I assure him it'll win over quite a few people.

With painfully done set encounters, concert scenes with lyrics timed to midi recordings (Seriously, who the hell does that?), tongue constantly in cheek...Well, I think it's something to dust off RM2K for again. Now if only I can convince the guy to put it up.

Oh Jesus! This is an RPG Maker orientated website and you're all saying you've played hardly any.

Legion Saga doesn't cut it, folks. I have to say it, although it pains me to, Legion Saga isn't very good at all. The plots, by Kamau's own admission, are made up on the fly and it shows. Characters lack depth or development. Dungeon designs are stupid.

For RPG purists, that's pretty much what the genre is all about. Nonsensical switch puzzles made by a dumbass architect (eg switches for doors on the other side of the building), shabby demon related plots and teenage angst leads. This just doesn't cut it for me and it shouldn't for you.

From time to time I could call myself a reader. I suppose I'm a binge reader; I will go weeks on end spending my time in books before a drought period. Two of my favourite books are the classics Dune and 1984. These develop masterful plots but most importantly they have a point to them, they advance their main theme. In 1984's case, it develops the idea of a totalitarian socialist state absolutely masterfully. You do not get the depth in RPGs, instead being fobbed off with some recycled garbage about the underworld. Legion Saga falls neatly into this category.

That is why I am such a big fan of the Way, a Blurred Line and Sunset Over Imdahl. They all offer something new. By RPG stands, a Blurred Line sets out its world and its customs excellently, as does the Way. Sunset Over Imdahl is beyond words - the visuals alone are enough reason for you to download this (and they aren't even the best bit).

Read Fred's review for Christ's sake! That's what it's there for. He sums it up brilliantly. It's not the only one we have, other reviewers have been impressed by other projects (most of which I have sadly not had time for).

You're doing yourself no favours by limiting yourselves to such shoddy titles. I guarantee that, if you play these top titles, you will find yourself with a new found interest in RPG Maker.

Originally posted by Maxy@Jan 22 2006, 12:12 PMFor RPG purists, that's pretty much what the genre is all about. Nonsensical switch puzzles made by a dumbass architect (eg switches for doors on the other side of the building), shabby demon related plots and teenage angst leads. This just doesn't cut it for me and it shouldn't for you.

From time to time I could call myself a reader. I suppose I'm a binge reader; I will go weeks on end spending my time in books before a drought period. Two of my favourite books are the classics Dune and 1984. These develop masterful plots but most importantly they have a point to them, they advance their main theme. In 1984's case, it develops the idea of a totalitarian socialist state absolutely masterfully. You do not get the depth in RPGs, instead being fobbed off with some recycled garbage about the underworld. Legion Saga falls neatly into this category.

[post=195380]Quoted post[/post]

I thought we were talking about full games....If demos, then Ive played quite a few .

Yeah, I never liked the storyline of LS that much (wow, a sword sends someone evil) but I just enjoyed the features on offer in the game, especially in an RM2K game.

Also, I believe you put that third paragraph there for a certain reason .

I'm someone who likes to think that he has played a fair few RM2K games in his time, and I've been reviewing these since I started (first review/first game complete was 'Legion Saga I). There's tonnes of brilliant games that I've yet to play, however; this needs to be rectified.

My favourites at the moment are games like Lysander86's 'The Book Of Three', which, although hardly groundbreaking in terms of plotting (inevitably restricted by its source material?) it still has a solid plot, and the characters in Alexander's novel are brought to life wonderfully. Great battling, great music, and all in all very cutesy, so right up my street.

Another of my favourites, despite its shortcomings, is BadLuck's 'Ara Fell'. Clocking in at about 10 hours (although I think I missed some of the sidequest type stuff) means that in RM2K terms it isn't a pushover. Plotwise it's little more than an RPG version of Buffy, but what I love about the game is the superb characterisation, great dialogue/sense of humour, and the sense of atmosphere that BadLuck manages to create through use of merely Mack & Blue. The setting of the game is something I've never seen in another game, and it's completely believable. The world in this game is sublime. The battling was also pretty fun, and the music for the most was good. Most of the puzzles were very inventive (well, all), although some were just awful. These and the bugs harm the game as a whole, but nevertheless it is one of my favourites.

For those who love a good little puzzle romp, 'Enter The Cave' is also a smashing game. Again, if you're expecting a plot you'll be sorely disappointed, but it's superbly designed, and the puzzles are never too frsutrating and always logical. Great game for a Sunday afternoon.

I'm also a fan of these puzzly type games: RpgmT's 'Collector' games I've always enjoyed, if you've ever played one of those, although I'm not sure if you can currently get any version on t'Internet (but we'll see come TCON). One RM2K3 game I love to bits though is 'Push!'. Haven't a clue who the author is, nor if you can still get it, but it's great. It's a puzzle format mathsists may be familiar with: you have an empty grid, numbers at the side and you have to make a picture out of them. 'Mario's Picross' followed the same format (and suggests that the puzzle itself is called Picross). It had a very odd Japanese-ish presentation, but the guts of it are what I like the most.

I don't mind the odd RPG, although I find my time for playing these things limited by schoolwork and other interests. I can't really affrod therefore to dedicate 500 million hours to the completion of some commercial stuff. RM2K RPG are therefore ideal for someone like me: a game that conjure up images of SNES RPGs (although they themselves of course suffer in the nostalgia area) that are manageable, over in hours as opposed to lightyears.

My praises go out to Love and War, The Way (I thought the last episode was okay, but yeah, won't suprise me if some stuff gets changed), A Blurred Line, and Sunset Over Imdahl. Love and War, well, it's probably the forth on that list, but I still felt the need to play it and I was decently satisfied. The others, as Maxy pointed out, have everything a good RPG needs.

A Blurred Line definately. Other works by Lys such as the Blue Contestant and Frozen world also get much credit.

I do distinctl;y remember a game called Chimera Report. It was a demo but it was fun and interesting. I kept on dying and getting lost and such but the battle system was a good blast.

Legend of the Philosophers Stone was alright. It was a good battle system, interesting characters and Plotline but I never got around to beating it. It went all funky on me, I'll have to play it again later.

Yeah, Legion Saga II was the first RPG Maker game I have ever played and although it seemed good to me at the time, I know exactly what was going to happen and such. I would agree that LSII is the best of them all, but even so, blaaah.

Final Fantasy Endless Nova was alright. It would have been a great game without the whole Final Fantasy feel. I thought it sort of ruined it a bit. It reminded me a lot of FF8 and all but yeah. that is pretty much I have to say.

Needlesss to say, I haven;t played as many RPG Maker games as I should have.

Vampire Night, I think. It was a gooder, only problem was it being completely in German (Though if someone can find me a translated version, I'd put up the souls of twenty virgins)

Now, since it was in a language I can't understand, I can't give huge commentary on it's story, but playing into it, it certainly seemed like the creator had a good grasp on cinematic elements. Enough to keep me playing through the language barrier. Up until it became unbearable.

(If memory serves me correctly, I got stuck in a room with all these bodies hanging from the ceiling.)

I don't like it anymore. I used to, but since Lysander is a f*cking slacker, I don't see why I should even be so excited for the game to be finished. I would wait about four months over the time he promised, but two years? F*ck no.

Originally posted by Splitlife@Jan 23 2006, 06:30 PMI don't like it anymore. I used to, but since Lysander is a fucking slacker, I don't see why I should even be so excited for the game to be finished. I would wait about four months over the time he promised, but two years? Fuck no.

[post=195501]Quoted post[/post]

I wouldn't call him a slacker, while he didn't release the full game a long time after he said he would he still made a few other games, good games might I add, plus perhaps he's got a life outside of making games? You can't expect someone to constantly work on their games if they have more pressing things to do.

Anyway, Sunset Over Imdahl, The Frozen World and Three the Hard Way are on my list.

I have never played an RM2k(3) game that has matched up to A Blurred Line in any area except visuals. I also fail to see how the author's laziness somehow diminishes the quality of his already-finished product. While it is true that we may never see its conclusion, what we HAVE seen is more than enough to surpass all other RM2k(3) games in virtually every aspect.

I have to agree with Psygon. A Blurred line is a very solid game, one that takes a concept and capture it very well with fluid dialogue, logical mapping and atmosphere setting music.

But no delay should keep you from appreciating what the creator has already done. Take Xenosaga as an excellent example that rushes things and working at the audience's pace rather than your own, produces crap.

While A Blurred Line is indeed an excellent game, I still have played a few others that I simply, enjoy more.

I'm not sure about The Way anymore. Sure, the characters and dialog in The Way are great, in fact, top 3 for any English Rm* game out there ( Love and War is about equal and Forgotten Majesty has pretty much every Rm* game beat in that regard ). But after what we see of Episode 6, the entire plot has to be called into question. And the gameplay falls apart midway through episode 5 onward. I have to think long and hard about where I'd rate The Way now.

As for Legion Saga, it was better when it was on Playstation and called "Suikoden".

I never got the big deal about Sunset over Imdahl, but to each his own ...

I was never particularly fond of The Way. However I never played past the first one - the gameplay just couldn't hold my interest.

I'll have to check out some of the other games you guys are mentioning, though, I haven't played RM2k games in a while.

Some other favorites (besides ABL) are the Book of Three (also by Lysander) and SovanJedi's Nigsek: A Monster's Tail and Idunn Ymiraldor (which I believe he stopped working on). Both were fantastically well done.

DoaMN is a good call. I would recommend to anyone that wants to play it that you track down the rm2k version as personally I find it superior to the updated version in nearly all aspects.

I'm still of the opinion that the best Lys game is The Blue Contestant!

Quote:

but never completed gem of Idunn Ymiraldor, which he actually moved to a 3D game maker last time I heard.

That isn't quite right. At one time Sovan was experimenting with 3D and blitz basic however he has since found employment in the 2D games industry (mobiles e.t.c.).
I believe his Plan is to release Idunn once he has finished the RMXP Nigsek. It will be a 2D project.

I would definitely agree on the consensus here. For character development, it's hard to beat The Way. I have never seen a more ensemble cast in an amateur RPG, but each character gets enough screen time that you actually start to care a little bit about them. I was not, however, fond of the convoluted, and at some points confusing, ending(s).

For visuals, Sunset Over Imdahl is tops. Even though the range for exploration is small, the hand-drawn sets are such a welcomed aspect from tiles that not even Lun Calsari's panoramas have anything against them.

A Blurred Line is a tricky little game for me. The story is close to perfect, and breaks the genre in several places (and I mean that in a good way). But dang it, it's hard to like something that was never completed. Ugh.